Easy Oven Meatballs from Scratch

 

Looking for a simple, flavorful meatball recipe that skips the frying and delivers tender, juicy results every time? These Easy Oven Meatballs from Scratch are baked to perfection and packed with savory goodness. Made with ground beef, breadcrumbs, herbs, and a touch of seasoning, they’re ideal for busy weeknights, meal prep, or cozy family dinners. 

Baking them in the oven keeps cleanup minimal and ensures even cooking — no splatter, no fuss. Serve them with pasta, tuck them into subs, or enjoy them on their own with your favorite sauce.

  

I had thawed a pound of local organic grass-fed ground beef to use today but it ended up that I was going out for supper instead of eating at home. I decided to make some meatballs for the freezer from it. That way I can have some delicious meatballs ready to use any time I want to make myself a meatball kind of a supper.

Homemade meatballs are so much tastier than anything you can buy ready-made!  You do see boxes of frozen meatballs in the shops, but you never can quite be sure of the quality of the ingredients used. By making my own I know exactly what has gone into them and they also have the bonus of my own special ingredient which makes everything taste better . . .  "LOVE!"

They may not photograph very well, but I can promise you that they do taste delicious. Tender, juicy and loaded with flavor. You can't go wrong with having some of these waiting in the freezer for you to use as and when you need them!

 

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED TO MAKE

EASY OVEN MEATBALLS FROM SCRATCH

If you always use the best quality of ingredients that you can afford then you will always have delicious results.

• 1 pound (454g) lean ground beef
• 2 large eggs, beaten together with 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
• 1/2 cup (45g) grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup (100g) panko breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs
• 1 small onion, peeled and minced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 TBS dried basil (alternately use 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil)

  

We buy our ground beef locally at a farmers' market. It is organic and grass fed. If you look at the color of it you will see a vast difference in it from the supermarket ground beef. No water has been added, nor red dye. It is natural and has a superior flavor. Lately it has gone up to about $10 a pound, which is a bit pricier than the grocery store beef, but it is so much better I don't mind paying a bit extra.

We also buy our eggs from a local producer. We pay $5.50 for a dozen eggs. Free range.  I think that is a pretty fair price to pay.

I used cracker crumbs which I made fresh in my food processor. I prefer cracker crumbs to panko.  I also blitzed my onion in the food processor so I could get smaller pieces.

I used organic refrigerator garlic. I blitzed this in with the milk and eggs in the food processor so that it was more evenly distributed.

 

HOW TO MAKE EASY

OVEN MEATBALLS FROM SCRATCH

These really are very quick and easy to make.  A bit messy on the hands, but oh well! 

1. Preheat your oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Line a medium sized baking sheet with some baking paper. Set aside. (I always like to use baking paper for an easy clean up, and it also means they don't stick to the pan. I hate leaving half my meatball on the pan.)
2. Place your beef in a large bowl. (You want a bowl large enough to hold all of your ingredients comfortably.)
3. Make your cracker crumbs by blitzing them in a food processor if you are using cracker crumbs. Measure and dump them into the bowl with the beef. (I find the food processor the easiest way to make crumbs, be they bread or cracker. You can also chop your onion in the food processor.)
4. Add the chopped onions to the bowl
5. Blitz the egg, milk and garlic together in the food processor and add to the bowl along with the salt, pepper, oregano, basil and grated cheese. (I blitz milk and egg together in the food processor with the garlic so that they get evenly mixed together.)
6. Mix everything together lightly with a fork or your hands. Do not over mix as you will toughen your meatballs. You do want everything mixed evenly however. (I find using my hands gives me the best results.)
7. Using your hands shape into golf ball sized balls and place evenly spaced apart on the prepared baking sheet. (Alternately you can use a cookie scoop.)
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until done. The internal temperature should read 160*F/71*C. (Remember they will continue to cook for a few minutes on the heat of the baking sheet after removal from the oven.)
9. These can be frozen to use at a later date. Cool. Place the baking sheet into the freezer with the meatballs on it. Once frozen remove to a zip lock baggie and return to the freezer. They will keep for about six months frozen.

 

HINTS AND TIPS FOR MAKING GREAT MEATBALLS

DON'T OVERMIX - Overhandling and mixing of meatballs can cause them to come out tough. Just combine until evenly mixed. I use my hands. The less you handle them the better.

SHAPE THEM EVENLY - Evenly sized meatballs will cook in the same amount of time. Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion them out evenly.

PAN FRY FOR EVEN MORE FLAVOR - Although I have baked these meatballs and they are really good, you can always panfry them in a skillet with a bit of butter and oil, which will add even more flavor to them. It will also add extra fat, but if you don't have to worry about that, its the way to go.

OVEN BAKE FOR A HEALTHIER OPTION - If you are watching the calories, then oven bake as suggested in the recipe.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

CAN I USE A MIX OF GROUND MEATS FOR THIS RECIPE?

You can use a mix of meats. I suggest 2/3 beef and 1/3 ground pork or sausage. This will give you a really flavorful meatball.

CAN THIS RECIPE BE DOUBLED?

Absolutely. Simply multiply everything by two.  Bake times will stay the same.

WHICH IS BETTER, PANKO OR CRACKER CRUMBS?

I prefer the cracker crumbs. For two reasons really. One, I always have crackers in the house, and two, I just like the flavor and texture from using cracker crumbs better.

CAN I USE FRESH SOFT BREADCRUMBS?

Sure but you may need more to give you the right consistency, or you may have to cut back on the milk and egg used as they won't be able to absorb as much.

CAN I FRY THESE INSTEAD OF BAKING THEM?

Absolutely. I would use a mix of oil and butter, or ghee to fry them. This would add a substantial amount of flavor. Unfortunately, it also adds more fat and calories to them as well, but if you are not worried about that, go for it!

CAN THESE BE FROZEN?

For sure.  Simply freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen pack into a zip lock baggie, label and date.  Use within six months. 

HOW LONG WILL THESE KEEP?

You can keep them chilled and tightly covered in the refrigerator for three to four days.  For longer storage, I recommend freezing them.

  

HERE ARE A FEW TASTY WAYS

TO USE THESE MEATBALLS!

• Reheat them in your favorite marinara sauce and then ladle over hot spaghetti or other pasta. Sprinkle with some Parmesan and enjoy!
• Reheat them and then pop into a toasty hoagie bun. Ladle some marinara sauce over top, sprinkle with cheese and then enjoy as a hot meat ball sandwich.
• Pop them onto your favorite baked macaroni and cheese casserole, sprinkle on additional cheese and then bake to bubbly gooey perfection.
• Make a tasty homemade gravy and reheat them in the gravy, ready to serve along with fluffy mounds of mashed potatoes.
• Use them in lasagna instead of ground meat. Just use a good marinara sauce and everything else you would use, like a tasty bechamel and or a cheese filling. Placing the meatballs between the layers for ultimate tastiness.

I am sure you can come up with a few more ideas of your own. Always tasty, very convenient, and such a simple yet wonderful addition to your food storage.

 

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Yield: 18 to 20 meatballs

Author: Marie Rayner

Easy Oven Meatballs from Scratch

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 45 Min

Every home cook needs a good basic homemade meatball recipe. These meatballs are juicy, flavorful, and very easy to make. They can also be baked and then frozen, ready to take out and use as and when you need them!

Ingredients

• 1 pound (454g) lean ground beef
• 2 large eggs, beaten together with 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk
• 1/2 cup (45g) grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup (100g) panko breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs
• 1 small onion, peeled and minced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/2 TBS dried basil (alternately use 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Line a medium sized baking sheet with some baking paper. Set aside.
2. Place your beef in a large bowl.
3. Make your cracker crumbs by blitzing them in a food processor if you are using cracker crumbs. Measure and dump them into the bowl with the beef.
4. Add the chopped onions to the bowl
5. Blitz the egg, milk and garlic together in the food processor and add to the bowl along with the salt, pepper, oregano, basil and grated cheese.
6. Mix everything together lightly with a fork or your hands. Do not over mix as you will toughen your meatballs. You do want everything mixed evenly however.
7. Using your hands shape into golf ball sized balls and place evenly spaced apart on the prepared baking sheet.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until done. The internal temperature should read 160*F/71*C.
9. These can be frozen to use at a later date. Cool. Place the baking sheet into the freezer with the meatballs on it. Once frozen remove to a zip lock baggie and return to the freezer. They will keep for about six months frozen.

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